56. Cin
Cin
We must have fallen asleep, our bodies tired. Mama wakes me up with a gentle shake, she’s smiling and my daughter radar goes berserk.
“Is everything okay?” I ask and she nods, placing a finger over her lips and pointing to where Talon’s still asleep.
“He needs to rest, come with me, Muffin.”
She helps me up, and I follow her to the dining room where practically everyone is sitting, even Conall in his suit.
“I thought you said everything was okay?”
She chuckles under her breath and wraps me in a hug, “it is.”
Mack moves, and I see a cake on the table with ‘Happy Birthday’ written on top and presents dotting the space around it.
“I didn’t get to celebrate with you,” she sniffles, “and I’d never miss that.”
Throwing my arms around her, I squeeze her tight, pouring all of my love into this hug. As much as this experience has traumatized me, I can only imagine how rough it’s been for her.
“Thank you, Mama,” I whisper into her hair, letting her go and turning to Mack.
“And thank you too,” I nod, not ready to cross the touch boundary yet. Even though he helped to save me, I just don’t know him well enough.
Mama cuts the cake into squares, and the conversation flows. The cake is my favorite, red velvet with chocolate chips and cream cheese icing. It’s delicious, and I eat every bit Mama gives me.
“This is divine,” I tell Mama, “where–” Fern shifts in her seat, cheeks turning pink. “Did you make this?”
She holds up a hand and says, “guilty.”
“Please tell me you can make these freezable so I can take them back to school.” I joke, but also not.
The room gets quiet, and I look around. Mama coughs and wipes her mouth, “you’re not going back to Ravard… none of you are.”
The boys grin, and I sit back in my chair, “we have to finish senior year.”
“You already have, Muffin,” Mama folds her hand over mine, “we turned in all of your assignments you finished, and Mr. Finnighan agreed you’ve been through enough, so all of you are set to graduate at the end of term.”
“All of us?” I ask, glancing at Gemma, and the boys, even Talon, who’s still sound asleep on the couch. I’ll bet he’ll love this news.
They all nod, and I laugh, “hell yes!”
Everyone joins in, and I look around the table at our new normal. Our new family that protected me, loved me, and brought me in with open arms.
When the cake is put away, Fern, Gemma, Mama, and I sit around the table. Talking about Fern and Creed’s upcoming wedding. I hadn’t realized they didn’t have a proper marriage ceremony.
“I bake when I’m stressed,” she admits, “and all this wedding planning has me cranking out treats left and right.”
We laugh in unison, and Mama says, “you don’t have a shortage of people willing to eat them.”
“Talon’s usually the worst, he’ll eat a whole plate before anyone else even knows I made anything,” she shakes her head while laughing, “I swear he’s a sugar addict.”
“Something like that,” his voice sends shivers up my spine, and I turn, spotting him hanging in the doorway with his hands on the top casing. “I was told there’s birthday cake?”
“I’ll get you a piece,” Fern stands, excusing herself for a moment. I give him a knowing look and shake my head.
“You’re spoiled Fish Boy,” I admonish, “can’t even get your own cake.”
He licks his bottom lip and winks, thanking Fern for the cake and heading back toward the living room.
“Mama,” I’ve been meaning to ask her what happened after everything. I haven’t had the chance until now. “What’s going to happen to Cody? I heard the whispers from the guys that he was removed from the ceremony unharmed. Why wouldn’t you take him down, too?”
She sighs and puts the paper down she’s been looking at, “Cody’s going to a specialized unit, with his father, who is also FBI,” her eyes slide my way as she delivers that news. “He was in another division, and he deserves a chance to help his son who he put in that position.”
“What do you mean, also ?”
“Cody was a newly minted undercover agent, but he fell prey to Serge’s charm and began to miss check-ins, then he went AWOL. When you said he was at your school, I reached out to his father. It’s how we connected a few of the dots.”
“Wow, okay,” I have to take a minute to truly process the news that Cody was never really my friend. Hell, he wasn’t even my age . “What about all the other robed people?”
“They were taken into custody,” Mama says. “But that’s all I know.”
“What do you mean?” I ask because her team always briefs her.
“I’m officially retiring,” she smiles, “I still have a lot of life left, and I want to spend it with you and Mack.”
I hug her, seeing the joy in her face. She’s genuinely happy with her decision, and I couldn’t be happier for her.
“Good for you, Mama.”
After Fern declares she’s wiped out and Mama seeks out Mack, Gemma and I join the boys in the living room. Talon opens his arms and legs from his corner spot on the couch, and I snuggle in.
He kisses the side of my head and wraps his arms around me, clicking the buttons on his controller.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Toby asks, and I shrug.
Gemma pipes up with a movie she's dying to see, and the boys groan. Apparently, she likes romance movies, too.
“What do you want to do, Spice?” Talon whispers in my ear, hand idling, drawing circles on my thigh.
“A movie night in sounds nice,” I answer.
“A movie night it is,” he snaps his fingers toward Toby, and he flings the remote to him, placing it in my hands, he says, “you choose.”
I enjoy making the guys sweat, so I scroll through all of the romantic comedies I love. Gemma and I pick one, and Talon holds me against him, whispering all the things he could do better.